DHAKA: Authorities in central China say 17 workers have been killed and 23 injured when a building collapsed during renovations.

The Wuyang County government in Henan province says on its website that the building collapsed on Friday afternoon while work was being done on its foundation, sbs.com.au reported.

It says 40 people were pulled from the debris by early Saturday morning, including 17 killed and 23 injured - nine of them in serious condition.

The official Xinhua News Agency says the two-story house was built in the 1990s.

The cause of the collapse is under investigation.

BDST: 0947 HRS, OCT 31, 2015
RS